Push-button switch



April '20, 1948. J. 1.. ANDREWS 2,440,063

. PUSH BUTTON SWITCH Original Filed Dec. 22, 1944 Inventor: John Lewis Andrews,

by WM His Attorney.

Patented Apr. 20, 1948 UNlTED STATES PATENT OFFICE PUSH-BUTTON SWITCH John Lewis Andrews, Fail-field, Ill., assignor to Hotpoint 1110., a. corporation of New York 5 Claims. (@L 200-167) The present invention relates to push button switches of the type which include 9, plurality of push buttons for actuating slides to effect closing of one or several definite electric circuits upon the actuation of one push button and simultaneously preventing the operation of another push button through suitable interlocking mechanisms.

The object of my invention is to provide an improved construction and arrangement of push button switches oi. the type above specified which are compatatlvely simple in. construction and safe and reliable in operation,

application is a division of my copending application, Serial Number 569,296, filed Decem lose 22, 19%, now Patent Number 243L904, issued cemloer 2, w ll.

For a consideration of what I believe to be novel and my invention, attention directed to the following description and the claims appended thereto in connection with the accompanying drawing.

lie the drawing l is a top view of a push button switch embodying my invention associated with on electric kitchen range; Fig. 2 is c. section along line 2 of Fig. 1, this figure being drawn to at larger scale than is Fig. l; and Figs. 3 and lare exploded perspective views cl certain parts of the switch of 2.

Referring to the drawing this :mueotlon has been shown in one toms es applied to a push button switch mounted on a kitchen sense 2 hav a heating unit and a loaclz splash The heels-splash t has an opening or openings through which the outtous of the switch project. The switch, as shown, is mounted on the rear of the beck-splash and scouted thereto lov means in eluding brackets 6 and screws 3..

The switch has a molded insulating a chambee with uoolzets closed by e coves 9. A plurality of contact blades are mounted on the insulating lily iucludlug hollow rivets ll. Terminal scsew m secure-cl to som of rivets it, tsct blades G6 are actuated Toy four The contact blades canyon tlieiz movable contacts to cooperatively stationary contacts it seemed to the and electrically connected to terminal means i Elie four slides 02 for actuating contact blades it are cooperatively associated with six push buttons to so? actuating the slides and the contact blades ill in a predetermined sequence.

Each push button it comprises a plunger ll which is fabricated from at single piece oi material, preferably sheet metal, by a punching and 3 slides 62 w 2 forming process and having a front wall it, a rear wall is and side walls to and ti. The rear wall 89 has a downward or lower extension 22 as viewed in Fig. 4, which forms a cylindrical pin to extending horizontally towards the front well ill for cooperation with openings or cam surfaces of the slides l2. Upper portions of the side walls to, ill have extensions forming lugs with openings lloe rear wall it has an upper extension with a raised bead ill on its back projecting towards the front wall The lugs and the bead. ll serve to locate and positively support a button proper 28 which has opposite side walls formed with lugs shaped to fit the openings of the lugs and producing a snap action therewith. The button is prism=shaped and made from translucent or transparent plastic material. The button has an outer end surface or top which is slightly curved and an opposite refiect= ing surface or bottom inclined towards the rear and front walls of. the button. The reflecting surface 36 is preferably provided with a plu rallty of parallel grooves 32 to obtain best light reflection towards the end surface 30. "When assembled with the plunger the button is held tlvmly in position lay sprine tension of the lugs 25 and also by additional spring pr ssure provided by the raised head ill on the back wall engaging one end of the l'efiectiug surface as test shown in Fig. 2. 'l'hus, the plunger is made from a single fabricated piece. Portions of the fetrlceted plunger form means for locating and supporting the plastic button and another pertion of the fabricated plunger forms a horizom tally extending pin for coopeeatiou the slides of the sw tell.

men sets; I

During assemblg oi. slides ou'the loose the push buttons are inserted into the pockets the oose slides there ace looolsecl onto the pins from the bottom of the lease. Tl'lEEf6&fll9l the push buttons with the slides are pulled into the pockets of the base to permit assembly of the contact springs terminals on the lease.

The present arrangement includes an adapter 3 3 and e reflector with a miniature light bulb 38 to improve its action and give desired lighting aas ocs 3 efiects on the switch buttons. The adapter is in the form of a fabricated sheet metal case havin a top 377 and a side wall 38. The end walls of the adapter form lugs 39 for attachment to the insulating base by means of screws 3%.

The top wall Sl has six rectangular openings at for accommodating, guiding and aligning outer portions of the reflecting buttons These openings do support the buttons as they are moved in and out, preventing any tilting thereof and assurlng smooth movement during operation. Proper alignment of the push buttons and plunger a semblies is important for correct indexing of the switch slides in that it insures the actuating pins 23 being held in correct position at both extremes of travel of the push buttons,

The side wall of the adapter has six windows ill aligned and each associated with one of the openings fill in the top. The windows are so placed that when a push button is moved all the way in, the lower end portion of its transparent section comes opposite a window, thus allowing light to be transmitted through the transparent material and to be reflected to the outer surface St or the button by the obtuse angle and the grooves of the reflecting surface ill. The proper location of the windows ll and the shield= ing effect produced by the adapter to prevent leakage of light to adjacent buttons is important to give a clear visual indication as to which of the buttons is actuated.

In addition, the adapter provides a convenient means for mounting the switch on the range switchboard as by the aforementioned brackets and screws ll. Furthermore, in the present arrangement the adapter functions as a support for the reflector with the light source The reflector 35 is made from fabricated sheet metal forming lugs 62 for attachment to the side wall 38 of the adapter by means of screws 33 (Fig. 2). The reflector has plane side walls GS and a curved, substantially cylindrically shaped refiecting'rear wall It has been found that such cylindrical wall provides for substantial concentration of the light towards the relatively small windows ll. The miniature lamp or bulb 36 is heldin a socket til securely attached to an end portion of the reflector by means including a nut ll. The reflecting wall 65 adjacent the socket (it is cut away, permitting removal oi the socket 418 with the bulb 35 upon loosening oi the nut ll without requiring dismantling of the reso may be interconnected in known manner with the off button so that the lamp 3% is disconnected whenever the ofi button is pushed in and is energized as soon as any one of the other buttons is pushed in.

While I have shown and described a particular embodiment of my invention, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from my invention in its broader aspects and I therefore aim in the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of my invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A push button switch comprising a base, contact means supported on the base, means for actuating the contact means comprising a plu= rality of slides having cam surfaces and a plurality oi push buttons cooperatively associated with the slides, each push button comprising a fabricated plunger made from a single piece of sheet metal by a punching and forming process, said plunger having side, front and rear walls the side walls forming at one end lugs with openings and the rear wall forming at an opposite end a cylindrical pin extending toward theiront wall for engaging the slides, and a light=reflectlug prism-shaped member made from transparent material and having side walls with projections fitting the openings of said lugs.

2. A push button for switches comprising a fabricated plunger having integral front, rear and side walls made from a single piece of sheet material, the rear wall having end extensions, the extension at one end forming a cylindrical pin extending toward the front wall and being I spaced therefrom, the extension at the other end forming a bead, and each of the side walls at one end having a slot opening towards said pin and at the other end having extensions forming lugs with openings.

3. A push button for switches comprising a fabricated plunger having integral front, rear and side walls made from a single piece of sheet material, the rear wall having end extensions, the extension at one end forming a cylindrical pin extending towards the front wall and being spaced therefrom, the extension at the other end forming a bead, each of the sidewalls having a slot at one end opening towards the pin and extensions at the other and forming lugs with openings, and a transparent button having lateral projections supported on the lugs and an end portion seated on said bead.

a. A push button for switches comprising a fabricated plunger having integral front, rear and side walls made from a single piece of sheet material, the rear wall having extensions at its opposite ends, the extension at one and forming a cylindrical pin extending towards the front wall and being spaced therefrom, the side walls having slots at one end opening towards the pin and extensions at the other end forming lugs with openings, and a reflecting prism=shaped member supported in said openings, said member having a reflecting inner end with a plurality of 1 parallel grooves and at an obtuse angle to its rear wall whereby a beam of light perpendicular to the front wall of said member is reflected from said inner end towards the outer end of'the member.

5. A push button switch comprising a base, contact means supported on the base, means in= eluding a push button slidably in the base for actuating said contact means, said push button having a transparent manually operable element which has a light reflecting surface for reflecting light rays directed onto it lengthwise through said element and also said button having an opaque fabricated switch actuating member ar ranged in alignment with said element, means attaching said element to said actuating member whereby it is supported thereby, an adaptor haw ing an opaque casing secured to said base provldedwith a wall spaced from said base and having an opening slidably receiving and supporting said element and said adaptor also having a secand wall substantially parallel to the line of movement of said element and actuating mem- REFERENCES CITED her, a source of light, and said actuating member and second wall having cooperating window and The following references are of record in the closure means therefor functioning in one posi- 5 me of this patent:

tion of said button to shield said transparent element irom'said light source and in a second UNITED STATES PATENTS position to admit light rays from said source to said reflecting surface. Number Name Date JOHN 2 1 W ds Feb. 18, 1941 

